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1
Season the beef and soak the skewers
15 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the wooden skewers in a tray of cold water to soak. Toss the beef cubes in a bowl with the coarse salt, crushed garlic, crumbled oregano and the juice of one lime, rubbing the seasoning into every piece. Leave the beef to season for 15 minutes while you start the mandioca.
Fifteen minutes is enough — the lime juice starts to firm the surface of the meat if it sits much longer, and street vendors season and grill in the same hour.
Done when: Every cube is evenly coated and glistening with lime juice.
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2
Boil the mandioca until soft
20 Mins
Rolling boil, about 100°C (212°F)
Bring the water to a rolling boil with the 5 g of salt for the mandioca water, add the mandioca chunks, and boil for about 20 minutes until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain well and keep warm. Never eat mandioca raw or undercooked — it must be boiled through.
Start the mandioca first: it takes the longest, and it holds its heat well while the skewers grill.
Done when: The mandioca is soft all the way through and splits easily with a fork.
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3
Heat the griddle or grill
5 Mins
High heat, about 200–220°C (400–425°F)
Heat a flat-top griddle, cast-iron pan or charcoal grill over high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Brush the surface lightly with the vegetable oil just before the skewers go on.
The surface must be properly hot before the meat touches it — that is what gives asadito its dark char marks instead of a grey, steamed surface.
Done when: The griddle is shimmering hot and the oil smokes faintly.
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4
Thread the skewers and grill
10 Mins
High heat, about 200–220°C (400–425°F)
Thread 4 beef cubes onto each soaked skewer, leaving a small gap between cubes so the heat reaches all sides. Grill the skewers for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until browned with dark char marks on all sides. The beef must reach at least 63°C (145°F) inside, then rest for 3 minutes.
Do not press the cubes flat with a spatula — squeezing pushes the juices out and leaves the meat dry. Let the heat do the work.
Done when: The outside is golden-brown with char marks and the centre is hot through, at least 63°C (145°F), with a 3-minute rest.
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5
Salt the mandioca and cut the lime
2 Mins
Off the heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Sprinkle the hot drained mandioca with a pinch of the coarse salt if you like it salty, and toss once. Cut the second lime into wedges for the table.
Salt the mandioca while it is still steaming so the crystals cling instead of sliding off.
Done when: The mandioca is hot, salted and ready to eat with your fingers or a fork.
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6
Serve standing up, street style
3 Mins
Serving temperature, about 65°C (150°F)
Hand each person 3 hot skewers and a piece of boiled mandioca, with lime wedges on the side. Squeeze lime over the beef just before eating, and eat the skewers standing up, as they do at the stalls in Encarnación and Asunción.
Serve the skewers the moment they come off the griddle — asadito is at its best in the first few minutes, while the outside is still crisp.
Done when: The skewers are steaming, the mandioca is hot, and the lime is squeezed over at the last moment.
Paraguay
1h 5m
